Three ways the GAA could deal with a delayed start to the season

1 PUSH IT BACK: With the news that the opening of schools will be pushed back to at least February 21 (after the scheduled mid-term break), that would also seem the most likely date for the curtailment of collective training to be reviewed.

Allowing teams a four-to-five week preparation, the League could start at the end of March, ensuring that everything falls back one month, with the All-Ireland football final then played in mid-August.

To release pressure on club fixtures, the All-Ireland club hurling and football semi-finals will be moved to next January. This is the GAA’s favoured outcome as intimated by Croke Park communications director Alan Milton in recent days.

2 CATCH IT UP: Despite a condensed Allianz League programme, a ‘catch-up’ week to accommodate postponements is built in while there is also a buffer week between the end of the League and start of the Championship. The football League could also be condensed by getting rid of the promotion and relegation semi-finals, with the top teams in each group going forward to divisional finals and the bottom teams into a relegation play-off.

In total, if all those options were utilised, the GAA could catch up three weeks, but it is understood that these options have not been considered.

3 CALL IT OFF: There is support among some board officials around the country to call off this year’s National League because they don’t have the funds to compete. However, that is not on Croke Park’s agenda, not least because League status is a determining factor in eligibility to play in the senior championship, and counties are expected to receive funds, either from Croke Park or the Government, to compete.

However, if extended Level 5 regulations fail to radically reduce virus infection rates, a further delay to the start of the intercounty season into April would almost certainly see the Allianz Leagues iced for this season.